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Gus Grissom’s 1961-D 10C Roosevelt coin, attested as flown and carried onboard the Liberty Bell 7 during Grissom's historic Mercury-Redstone 4 mission. Dime is housed in a silver-tone bezel with a dime-sized engraved sterling disc attached, reading "Liberty Bell 7" on one side and "21 July 1961" on the reverse. In fine condition. Accompanied by a signed letter of authenticity from Mark Grissom, the son of Gus Grissom, who writes: “I certify that this ‘1961 Roosevelt Dime’ was flown into space on MR4 ‘Liberty Bell 7.’ It was personally owned by Gus Grissom and has remained in the Grissom Estate until sold.”
Less than three months after the flight of Alan Shepard's Freedom 7, Gus Grissom earned the distinction of becoming the second American to reach space when his Liberty Bell 7 launched on July 21, 1961. However, unlike the successful splashdown of Shepard, the premature opening of Grissom’s capsule hatch upon Atlantic touchdown nearly led to his drowning. Having already unbuckled most of his harness, Grissom was able to quickly free himself and escape from the sinking craft. After four to five minutes of treading water, an exhausted and relieved Grissom was lifted aboard a recovery helicopter.
Following the mission, and his nearly tragic splashdown, Grissom referred to the souvenirs carried in the left leg of his suit: 'I had brought along two rolls of fifty dimes each for the children of friends, three one-dollar bills, some small models of the capsule, and two sets of pilot's wings. These were all adding weight that I could have done without.' Following his safe return to land, the dimes were given as souvenirs as intended.
There were two types of dimes carried on board the Liberty Bell 7 when it flew in 1961—Roosevelt and Mercury. Many of the Roosevelt dimes were carried with Grissom in his spacesuit. A total of 52 Mercury dimes are believed to have been stored in a small pouch on the back of the optical periscope.
After unsuccessful attempts in 1992 and 1993, Oceaneering International, Inc., and a team led by Curt Newport lifted the Liberty Bell 7 from the Atlantic seabed and onto the deck of the recovery ship Ocean Project on July 20, 1999, the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The spacecraft was found after a 14-year effort by Newport at a depth of nearly 16,000 feet, some 350 miles east-southeast of Cape Canaveral. The spacecraft was transported to The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, where it was disassembled and cleaned, and is now on permanent display. Flown items from the Liberty Bell 7 are exceedingly rare and highly coveted by collectors.
